The present invention relates generally to liquid fuel combustion apparatus and, more particularly, to such apparatus for warming internal combustion engines for vehicles.
Japanese patent application No. 213156/84 discloses a warming apparatus in which a combustor and a heat exchanger are disposed at an intake pipe of an engine. Combustion gas produced in the combustor is mixed with intake air and the mixture is fed to the engine. According to this warming apparatus, the intake temperature is increased to enhance engine start-up, shorten engine warm-up and provide more rapid heating of vehicle compartments with the heat exchanger.
However, the fuel vaporization apparatus of the above-described combustor is not sufficiently efficient and unvaporizaed fuel is sometimes jetted into a vaporization chamber. To avoid this problem, an electrical heater is provided to heat and vaporize fuel within the vaporization apparatus. However, the continuously energized heater consumes significant electric power and can cause discharge of the normal power supply batteries carried by the vehicle.
The object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide fuel vaporization apparatus which is capable of completely vaporizing fuel supplied to a combustion chamber for enhancing warm-up of an engine.